Hinduism
what is
Hinduism?
Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions and is the oldest religion
that is still practiced today. The religious tradition of Hinduism is primarily
focused on connecting to the supreme god or ultimate reality, known as
Brahman, and bettering oneself to escape the cycle of reincarnation.
Also referred to as "Sanatana Dharma" meaning "The eternal tradition
or the Eternal Way"
Hinduism practices Polytheistic. 5000 years old and the 3rd largest
religion.
Hindu - "Shindu" (local name
The main symbol of of the Indus River) North
Hinduism is called Om (or Western part of India
Aum). It represents the spirit Subcontinent.
of all things in the world. The
name "Om" represents the Hindus believe that their religion
sound that was made when helps you free your soul from the
the universe was created. sadness, disappointments, and
mistakes of everyday life.
Origin Of Unlike other major religions like
Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, &
Hinduism Judaism, it cannot be traced back
to a single founder.
Mission and Vision of
Hinduism
Vision
The vision of Hinduism is often
centered around the concept of
moksha, which is the liberation from
the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
(samsara). This vision emphasizes
self-realization, spiritual growth, and
the ultimate union with the divine.
Mission
The mission of Hinduism can be seen
as guiding individuals towards a life of
dharma (righteousness), artha
(prosperity), kama (pleasure), and
moksha (liberation). These four goals,
known as the Purusharthas, provide a
framework for living a balanced and
fulfilling life.
Nirvana & Upanishads Holy Texts
The Vedas (1700-500BC) and
the Upanishads (750 to
550BC) are a collection of
writings that describe all the
fundamental teachings that
are central to Hinduism -
including the concepts of
'karma'
The Vedas are law. Most
beliefs concepts, and
ceremonies are based on info
contained in the vedas
Concept of Karma
Karma Samsara Nirvana
Cycle of Birth-death, and Rebirth. Also As is the attainment of highest state
Means that if someone did known as Reincarnation. This means, in that a Hindu can reach. This feeling is
something bad to you, it will Hinduism, people believed that if you
called "Moksha" or you finally freed
come back to them the way did something bad, you will be
yourself from the Samsara by ending
reincarnated as creatures to make up
they did it and much harsher. the wrong doings you are doing.
for it.
Hinduism believes that our body is temporary,
and it dies. While our soul is indestructible and
eternal.
Goals in Hinduism
DHARMA ARTHA KAMA MOKSHA
Achieving Moksha
Four Paths to achieve Moksha
Path of Knowledge
Path of Meditation
Path of Devotion
Path of good works
THE BRAHMAN
Eternal, supreme being and highest
universal principle. Infinite. Also called the
ultimate or absolute reality.
The word Brahman is derived from the
Sanskrit root brh, meaning "to grow or
expand." Brahman is understood to be
both that which grows and that which
causes other things to grow. It is the
omnipresent and eternal source of all that
exists in the universe, and it is therefore
present in everything; every person, every
molecule and every atom.
one main god called Brahman.
TRIMURTI
The trimurti or Three forms collapses the three gods into a single form with
three faces. Each god is in charge of one aspect of creation, with Brahma as
creator, Vishnu as preserver, and Shiva as destroyer.
VISHNU - PRESERVER
BRAHMA - CREATOR
SHIVA - DESTROYER
DEVI DEVA
is the Sanskrit word for ' goddess '; the masculine form is deva. Devi and deva mean 'heavenly, divine,
anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
Ganesha
The son of Shiva and Parvati. He is a potbellied elephant God
and the lord of success, knowledge, and wealth. (also Ganesa or
Ganapati) is one of the most important gods in Hinduism.
Ganesha is easily recognized with his elephant head and human
body, representing the soul (atman) and the physical (maya).
Ganesha is the patron of writers, travellers, students, and
commerce, and he removes obstacles blocking new projects.
The deity is fond of sweets, to the slight detriment of his figure.
Krishna
A blue skinned deity of love and compassion, also she is one the
most beloved hindu gods. Krishna became the focus of
numerous bhakti (devotional) cults, which have over the
centuries produced a wealth of religious poetry, music, and
painting.
Krishna is one of the most powerful incarnations of Vishnu, the
Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities.
Rama
known as the God of truth and virtue, also another avatar of
Vishnu. Rama is conceived as a model of reason, right action,
and desirable virtues.
The views of Rama combine "reason with emotions" to create a
"thinking hearts" approach. Second, he emphasises through
what he says and what he does a union of "self-consciousness
and action" to create an "ethics of character".
Hanuman
A monkey-faced deity, worshipped as a symbol of Physical
strength, perseverance, and scholarly devotion. He appears in
the form of a monkey with a red face who stands erect like a
human. For his service to Rama, Hanuman is upheld as a model
for all human devotion (bhakti).
Hanuman is described in the epic as one of extremely pleasant
visage, perfect diction, elegant speech, and faultless manners.
He is also described as being knowledgeable in the three Vedas.
From his father, the Wind God, he inherits his might and speed.
He is also a shapeshifter who can increase and decrease his
body size at will.
Laksmi
The goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and
spiritual. The wife of Vishnu, she is said to have taken different
forms in order to be with him in each of his incarnations,
goddess of wealth, good fortune, youth, and beauty.
The goddess is particularly associated with the lotus flower and
is sometimes referred to simply as the Lotus Goddess.
SACRED TEXT
There are two types of sacred writings in the Hindu scriptures:
Shruti (heard) and Smriti (memorized).
SHRUTI
refers to the habit of ancient Hindu saints who led a solitary life in the woods, where they
developed a consciousness that enabled them to 'hear' or cognize the truths of the universe.
Sruti literature is in two parts: the Vedas and the Upanishads.
There are four Vedas: (KNOWLEDGE)
The Rig Veda -"Royal Knowledge"
The Sama Veda - "Knowledge of Chants"
The Yajur Veda - "Knowledge of Sacrificial Rituals"
The Atharva Veda - "Knowledge of Incarnations"
UPANISHADS
There are 108 extant Upanishads or philosopical ides of which 10 are most important:
- Isa, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taitiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka.
SMRITI
refers to 'memorized' or 'remembered' poetry and epics. They ar
e more popular with Hindus, because they are easy to understand, explains universal truths
through symbolism and mythology, and contain some of the most beautiful and exciting stories in
the history of religion world literature.
The three most important of Smriti literature are:
The Bhagavad Gita - The most well-known of the Hindu scriptures, called the "Song of the
Adorable One", written about the 2nd century BC and forms the sixth part of Mahabharata. It
contains some of the most brilliant theological lessons about the nature of God and of life
ever written.
The Mahabrata - The world's longest epic poem written about 9th century BC, and deals
with the power struggle between the Pandava and the Kaurava families, with an intertwining
of numerous episodes that make up life.
The Ramanaya - The most popular of Hindu epics, composed by Valmiki around 4th or 2nd
centuries BC with later additions up to about 300 CE. It depicts the story of the royal couple
of Ayodhya - Ram and Sita and a host of other characters and their exploits.
DHARMA
The purpose of Dharma is to uplift us from earthly or selfish concerns and to tie us to the
universal order of things. It also refers to righteous way of living and the idea of every
human’s duties and responsibilities.
DHARMA
Atman - also known as “Permanent Self
(soul)” means that every creature
living have souls.
SECTS
Hinduism has four major sects:
Saivism - Saivite Hindus worship the Supreme God as Shiva, the Compassionate One. Saivites
esteem self- discipline and philosophy and follow a satguru. They worship in the temple and
practice yoga, striving to be one with Shiva within.
Shaktism - Shaktas worship the Supreme as the Divine Mother, Shakti or Devi. She has many forms.
Some are gentle, some are fierce. Shaktas use chants, real magic, holy diagrams, yoga and rituals to
call forth cosmic forces and awaken the great kundalini power within the spine.
Vaishnavism - Vaishnavites worship the Supreme as Lord Vishnu and His incarnations, especially
Krishna and Rama. Vaishnavites are mainly dualistic. They are deeply devotional. Their religion is
rich in saints, temples and scriptures.
Smartism - Smartas worship the Supreme in one of six forms: Ganesha, Siva, Shakti, Vishnu, Surya
and Skanda. Because they accept all the major Hindu Gods, they are known as liberal or
nonsectarian. They follow a philosophical, meditative path, emphasizing man’s oneness with God
through understanding.
AVATARS
in Hinduism, the incarnation of a deity human or animal forms to counteract an evil in the world.
In his many forms, Vishnu is regarded as the preserver and protector. Hinduism teaches that when
humanity is threatened by chaos or evil, Vishnu will descend into the world in one of his incarnations
to restore righteousness. The incarnations that Vishnu takes are called avatars. The Hindu scriptures
speak of ten avatars. They are thought to have been present in the Satya Yuga (the Golden Age or Age
of Truth), a period when mankind was ruled by gods.
There are 10 major Avatars of Vishnu;
1. Matsya
2. Koorma
3. Varaha
4. Narasimha
5. Vamana
6. Rama
7. Balarama
8. Krishna
9. Parasurama
10. Kaiki
Place of Worship
Many Hindus worship (puja) every day at home and have
a shrine there.
The Hindu building for communal worship is called Mandir
(Hindu Temple).
Each temple is dedicated to different gods and are a focus
of religious life.
ISSUES (beliefs) OF
HINDUISM
SATI OR SUTTEE
practice of burning a widow on her
husband's funeral pyre or burying
her alive in his grave. “For better of
for worse.”
Child Marriage
Marrying girls off early was seen as a
way to protect them and ensure
their economic and social security,
that girls should be married soon
after reaching puberty. This was
believed to ensure the girl’s
chastity and family honor.
Caste System
A caste is a fixed social group into
which an individual is born within a
particular system of social
stratification: a caste system. Within
such a system, individuals are
expected to marry exclusively within
the same caste, follow lifestyles often
linked to a particular occupation, hold
a ritual status observed within a
hierarchy, and interact with others
based on cultural notions of exclusion,
with certain castes considered as
either more pure or more polluted
than others.
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